As Bakr-Eid Approaches Cattle Smuggling, Attacks On BSF Jawans Soar Along Indo-Bangladesh Border

Cattle smuggling and related violence have suddenly increased sharply along the India-Bangladesh border in last few years. With the Bakri-Eid approaching closer and the soaring meat price in Bangladesh due to increase in demand, the cattle smugglers are likely to become more desperate in the coming days, security establishment sources said, reports The New Indian Express.

The current month, in particular, has seen an unusual spike in cattle thefts. Around 1,400 cows and buffaloes are seized in just about a week. However, the seizure is only one-third of the actual numbers being smuggled.

The Border Security Force (BSF), which guards the Indo-Bangladesh border, has been working hard to curb the menace of cattle smuggling.

“The BSF is determined to stop trans-border crimes and has been doing its job very effectively. In the present circumstances, it has shown the best results to curb cattle smuggling,” BSF Deputy Inspector General said.

While four smugglers were killed last year and 15 criminals were already killed till 30 June this year. In the meantime, one BSF soldier has been killed by the smugglers and around 45 men have been attacked.

Last year, BSF director-general KK Sharma had said that since the Modi government came to power in 2014, the volume of the trade had shrunk from Rs 9,000 crore to just Rs 1,600 crore by January 2018.

However, there have been a spike in the smuggling in the recent months which a security official attributed to the withdrawal of 42 per cent of the BSF personnel from the border during the Lok Sabha election duties.

A security official added that, once past the border, the cattle smugglers are treated as traders in Bangladesh.

"All they need to do is to furnish 500 taka per animal to the officials and then they are free to sell it," said the official. He added that every single cattle can fetch around Rs 1.22 lakh in Bangladesh in view of Bakri-Eid.